


A Different Road Taken

by roeskva



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Episode: s04e04 Crossroads, Episode: s04e05 Divide and Conquer, Gen, Tok'ra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-07
Updated: 2013-04-07
Packaged: 2017-12-07 19:46:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/752346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roeskva/pseuds/roeskva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Freya/Anise arrive at Stargate Command, asking for help with a danger that is threatening both the Tok'ra and the Tau'ri.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Guest Bearing Unpleasant Tidings

**Author's Note:**

> AU version of Crossroads (and it will lead to AU Divide and Conquer as well). Some lines were borrowed from Crossroads, as well as some from Divide and Conquer. 
> 
> Written for tokra_kree: round one. Theme: "Re-imagine an episode that has Tok'ra in it. What could have been done differently?"

"Incoming traveler sir, it's the Tok'ra," the Technician said.

"Here to share _squat_ with us no doubt," O'Neill grumbled.

"Open the iris," Hammond ordered.

The iris opened and Freya/Anise stepped through, followed by two other Tok'ra, carrying a long box covered with a piece of cloth.

Teal'c ran to the gateroom, very worried something may have gone wrong with Shau'nac after she had received a new, almost too young symbiote larva. The rest of SG-1 followed.

"Teal'c... it is with great sorrow that I return," Anise began. She nodded at the two guards, who walked to the side of the room and placed the large container on the floor.

"Shau'nac!" Teal'c exclaimed, looking at the casket with a grieved expression.

"We found the body just outside her chamber." Anise looked towards the two other Tok'ra, then at the shocked members of SG-1. "The symbiote she carried was also dead. If we had found a more mature larva…"

"She appeared well!" Teal'c insisted.

"Shau'nac's death is simply the unfortunate result of waiting too long," Anise said. She hesitated for a moment. "I have... further matters... things I need to discuss with your healers. Some research unrelated to this sad event. Could you have my two companions sent back where we came from, so they can bring some things here that I will need?"

"What are you _talking_ about? _Research_? When you've brought a dead Shau'nac back?" Jack looked disbelieving at her. "Are you going to test more crap on us? Like those damn armbands! I _knew_ the Tok'ra were unfeeling about others, but _this_!"

"Please, it is very important research..." Anise urged.

"Sure, of _course_ it is..." O'Neill waited for another few moments, then shook his head in disgust. "Okay - have them sent back."

"Thank you." Anise bowed her head gratefully.

Teal'c moved to pull the sheet away from the box containing Shau'nac, but Anise looked at him and almost imperceptibly shook her head. He gave her a strange look, but did not remove the sheet. Instead he bent down and put his hand on top of it.

"Shau'nac... tell mah veriunte shree. Tell mah," Teal'c said, the emotion strong in his voice.

"Our love does not end in death," Daniel translated.

"I wanted Teal'c to have the body for whatever spiritual ritual he may wish to perform," Anise explained, as behind them, the Stargate activated again, and the two Tok'ra left through it. "Please, can we take this box to your healers?"

"Why? She's dead?" O'Neill exclaimed.

"I will explain. _Please_ ," Anise repeated.

"Why not?" Sam said.

"Okay." O'Neill nodded.

* * *

They had carried the casket to the infirmary. It had turned out to be equipped with some sort of anti-gravity device, making it much lighter than they had expected.

"We're here. _Explain_ ," O'Neill demanded.

Behind them Teal'c waited, an unreadable expression on his face.

Anise nodded. "We do not have much time. We cannot be overheard here?"

"No, we're fine. Out with it! What's this all about?" O'Neill said angrily.

Anise lifted the sheet, showing them a box with a transparent lid. Shau'nac could be seen through it, and along the side of it was a control panel and a display showing Goa'uld text.

"This is a portable stasis chamber?" Sam realized.

"Yes. Shau'nac is not dead, though she would soon be, if we removed her from it. Teal'c, I cannot promise we can save her, but there is a chance. I must go now and receive the equipment I have asked to be brought here. When the other Tok'ra have left, I will explain. It is of _utmost_ important that no one knows Shau'nac is alive."

"Why?"

"There are some Tok'ra who have been compromised. Who, or how many, I do not yet know."

"Okay, we'll keep your secret, but we expect a full explanation as soon as the others have left," O'Neill said, looking confused.

"You will get it - as much of it that I know," Anise promised.

* * *

SG-1, Hammond, Janet, and Freya/Anise all sat around the table in one of the meeting rooms.

"All right, let's hear what you have to say, Anise," Hammond said.

She nodded. "Earlier today, I went to talk to Shau'nac... Freya wished to ascertain she was doing well. We found her outside her quarters - or more precisely, in the short corridor leading from the main corridor to her rooms. She was alive, but unconscious and very ill. She awoke when I touched her, and told me what had happened. Tanith is _not_ a Tok'ra - he is a Goa'uld, and he had crushed her symbiote larva, and injured her in the pouch in such a way that the symbiote's blood was mixing with hers."

Teal'c gasped. "It is a slow, and immensely painful way of killing Jaffa - used when they have failed their god in some way."

"That is correct."

Teal'c got a furious expression. "I will _kill_ Tanith!"

"Teal'c..." Anise sighed. "I understand your wish for revenge, however, we cannot allow that right now. We intend to use Tanith for misinformation."

"His host?" Daniel asked.

"It is regrettable, but he volunteered for this. What he will have to endure is beyond what any of us can imagine, but it could be of an immense help to the Tok'ra. We _will_ remove Tanith when the time comes, but for now he must believe we do not suspect him."

"Shau'nac?"

"As soon as I found her, I had her taken to the healer's chamber, and I removed the dead symbiote, and its blood from her pouch. However, much of it had already entered her bloodstream, and even had it not, I did not have a new larva for her. She was dying, and I decided to place her in a stasis chamber, hoping a new symbiote larva will be able to save her, if we can find one that is more mature."

Teal'c hesitated for quite some time, then bowed his head, accepting what she said. "I will refrain from taking my revenge. For now. We will procure such a symbiote as is needed for Shau'nac."

"Okay, all well and good, but why all the secrecy?" O'Neill asked.

"Yes... surely you can't be afraid Tanith will hear about it? None of the Tok'ra will inform him, will they?" Sam asked. "Especially now, when they know he's a Goa'uld."

Anise hesitated. "Normally, that would be the case, that is correct. However, during my talk with Shau'nac, she told me that Tanith is not the only danger. Apparently, Tanith he gloated to her, before crushing her prim'ta - telling her how he had been approached by Tok'ra working for the Goa'uld with the goal of destroying the alliance between our people, and killing all the Tok'ra."

"Traitors?" Sam frowned.

"Yes, regrettably."

"That is certainly a bold plan. Did Shau'nac mention any names? Is there a way to corroborate any of what she said?" Hammond said, looking almost shocked.

"She said Tanith had mentioned one name, the name of one of the healers. According to what Tanith said, there was at least three more, and they were working at the behest of a Goa'uld - which one I do not know, as Tanith did not feel Shau'nac was 'worthy of knowing his name'. Their plan is to destroy the Tok'ra - and the Tau'ri - by spying, causing our people to be captured and killed, turning Tok'ra against Tok'ra, Tau'ri against Tau'ri, and Tok'ra and Tau'ri against each other."

" _How_?"

Anise made a long blink, transferring control to Freya.

"They had just received technology with which to achieve this... with which to create zatarcs, I believe. Victims of Goa'uld mind-control technology," Freya said.

" _What_?" Sam asked.

"A mission is programmed into the victim's subconscious. That programming is covered with a false memory. I will admit it is still only a theory, and when I recently presented it to the High Council, they were... sceptical. The existence of the technology to create zatarcs is thus far unconfirmed. However, I have documented three incidents within the last two months. Otherwise healthy Tok'ra operatives suffered sudden extreme behavioral episodes, each ending in suicide."

"Why have we not heard anything of this? _Who_ is responsible for making these... zatarcs?" O'Neill demanded.

"As I said, the Council were unwilling to listen to my theories. I do not know who is responsible for creating them, but all the Tok'ra affected had recently visited worlds owned by Apophis. Moreover, if the technology to make zatarcs are now accessible to traitors in the tunnels, anyone is at risk. Worse, I do not know who are involved, with the exception of the one healer, and now Tanith. I cannot move against any of them, when I do not know who I can trust. Shau'nac may be able to help - if she lives. Just before she lost consciousness, she said she had seen Tanith with two Tok'ra she did not know the names of, but I hope she will be able to recognize them. They came to his room while she was there, just as she was losing consciousness. She heard them say they would help him hide what he had done, and that they had received orders from their master."

"All right, so we get a new symbiote for Shau'nac, she tells you who the traitors are, problem solved?"

"Partially, at least, though I would wish to perfect my detection equipment for finding zatarcs, as well as find a way of reversing the programming before the problem can be solved. I have brought the equipment here partially as a ruse for why I am staying, but also because I _need_ to be able to detect zatarcs. I was hoping you, Doctor Fraiser, could help me with my research."

"Sure," Janet said. "I'll do my best to help."

Freya nodded. "Good. Since I do not know how many are involved, I will attempt to get the ones we suspect to come here, for examination. When Shau'nac has named them, of course. I also need some Tok'ra I can trust, to help me bring the guilty ones to justice. Right now that has to be Tok'ra who have not been in the tunnels for about a week, and who have not been to any world owned by Apophis. Major Carter, your father is currently on a mission to a planet known as Ta'honna, which belongs to the minor Goa'uld Enlil. He has been away for more than a week, so he should be clean."

"Great!" Sam looked relieved. "We'll go get him, and then he can help us find a symbiote for Shau'nac!"

"Yes, you should retrieve him, but not yet. You must wait until he has sent at least one report, or the Council will wonder, and the traitors may suspect something is amiss. He will most likely have sent his first report in a few days, and then he should be contacted, and made to come here, so as not to risk him being compromised in the tunnels."

"Listen. No offense - I mean, we're happy you've shared this information with us - but what _is_ it you'd have us do?" O'Neill exclaimed.

"We can get a prim'ta on Chulak," Teal'c suggested.

"No, we can't go to Chulak, since it's one of Apophis's worlds." Sam realized. "Right?"

Freya gave Anise control.

"Correct," she confirmed. "That would be... most unwise."

"Where did you get the larva you grabbed before?" O'Neill asked.

"From Cronus's homeplanet."

"Cronus has almost certainly increased security after you stole a larva at the sepulcher of his temple," Teal'c said. "What you did... it is considered... blasphemy."

Anise nodded. "Yes. Unfortunately, he probably has indeed increased his security. However, I believe it should be possible to get a larva from another place. From an ally of Cronus's. A queen named Hera."

"Hera? In Greek mythology, she is the wife of Zeus, and goddess for women and marriage," Daniel said. "She is also..."

O'Neill interrupted him. "Yes, thank you, Daniel. Enough with the history lessons right now."

"Hera was, in fact, originally the queen of Zeus. However, he is now a very minor Goa'uld, and she has long since abandoned him. She is the daughter of Cronus and his queen Rhea, and a queen herself. She - like a small number of other queens - is an independent System Lord, though a minor one. She has only a small empire, and is protected by a number of other Goa'uld, whom she offers her services to," Anise explained.

"Um... that doesn't mean..." O'Neill began.

"Yes, she spawns larvae for them, enabling them to keep their Jaffa alive. There are six Goa'uld she assists in this manner, and it is my hope that it is possible to steal a larva from one of them - or, perhaps, from Hera's own planet."

"Wonderful, just wonderful!" O'Neill groaned.

"So - will you be going with us? Or how are we doing this?" Sam asked.

"No, I am no warrior, and while I could, of course, pretend to be a Goa'uld, there is a better solution. We currently have an operative on one of the planets belonging to Tlaloc, who is one of the Goa'uld Hera spawns for. I would suggest you contact this operative and have him assist you in procuring a larva."

"This Tok'ra is an underling for Tlaloc?" Teal'c wondered.

"No, he is visiting one of Tlaloc's agricultural worlds, negotiating a trade for the Tok'ra."

"Trade?" Daniel asked, interested.

"While we are able to grow some food using hydroponics, and we also hunt, the majority of our food is procured through trade," Anise explained.

"Of course. That makes sense. If you had large fields with wheat, or whatever, it would be difficult to keep your base a secret - and I guess you don't have the manpower for that either," Daniel said.

"Okay, I guess we're going then, right?" O'Neill looked at Hammond.

He nodded. "Yes, this sounds too important not to."

"How do we contact this operative? How will we be able to recognize him?" Sam asked.

"The world is called Sifnus, and there is no Goa'uld presence on that world except when Jaffa arrive to pick up the produce. Thus our operative can work quite openly, and should not be difficult to locate. His appearance you already know. The operative is Martouf."

"Martouf?" Sam said, surprised.

"Okay, it could be worse." O'Neill shrugged. "What?" He looked at his surprised team mates. "Yeah, you know I don't like having anyone tag along on our missions, especially someone I don't know, but Marty did okay on Netu, so I don't mind him so much."

"You should leave as soon as possible. Martouf will return to our base the moment he has completed the negotiations, and that could be soon," Anise said.

"At which time he'll be at risk from being turned into a zatarc - particularly since he's heavily involved in the work on the treaty between Earth and the Tok'r,." Sam realized.

"Yes. Also, the sooner you can procure a larva, the sooner it will hopefully be possible to question Shau'nac. I cannot stress enough the importance of finding the compromised Tok'ra," Anise reminded them.

Hammond nodded. "I agree, you should prepare for the mission immediately. Dismissed."


	2. Mission - and Making Plans

SG-1 left for the planet Sifnus, where they hoped to find Martouf/Lantash.

Back at Stargate Command, Freya/Anise gave Janet an overview of her work on zatarc detectors, and possible treatments. They would be working together on the project, just as Freya/Anise had told the Tok'ra Council - the research were no less necessary, even if it also served as a cover.

Sifnus was a very green world, with a pleasant climate. It was easy to see that it was an agricultural world, with fields stretching out from them in all directions.

Sam pointed towards a hilly terrain in the distance. "According to Anise, the nearest village is behind those hills, about 3 clicks away. Martouf and Lantash will probably be there, as it's the location of the local Council."

"Okay, off we go, then," O'Neill said.

* * *

"Over there." Sam pointed towards a young man at the far end of the plaza. He was talking to two older men, and all seemed pleased with whatever they were discussing. When the young man turned his head a little, it was clear to all of them it was Martouf.

"Let's wait until he's finished talking to the locals," O'Neill said.

A couple minutes later, Martouf bowed his head respectfully to the two locals, and turned to walk away from the plaza, while the locals left in another direction, towards a large building.

SG-1 immediately hurried in the same direction as Martouf, but before they had caught up with him, he suddenly turned and stepped through the door to a seemingly random house.

"Damn - he sensed Teal'c's symbiote!" Sam realized.

They had barely started towards the building, when Martouf left the house again, having clearly seen who it was that that was approaching. He stopped just outside the building, and bowed his head in acknowledgment of their presence.

Martouf waited until they reached him, then greeted them. "Hello, Samantha, Colonel O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c. I presume you are here looking for me?"

"Martouf. Yes, we are. Listen, can we go somewhere... private?" Sam said.

"Yes..." Martouf was quiet for a few moments, considering where to go, then decided on the usually empty temple just outside the village. "Come, this way."

* * *

Martouf frowned, then nodded "I understand. I will not return to my base until after the summit, at least. I do see that I would be a likely target." He sighed. "I really hope this can be resolved quickly. It is... disquieting to think that there are Tok'ra traitors. Almost unbelievable."

"Yeah, I hear you. Learning your friends or colleagues have betrayed you and your cause really sucks," O'Neill said, thinking of Colonel Makepeace and the other SG team members that had been discovered to work for the NID.

Martouf nodded slowly. "I just don't understand how this could have happened. Why would they help the _Goa'uld_? Our enemies, who represent all that we despise?"

"Maybe it's not their fault? Couldn't they have been... I don't know... _brainwashed_? Just like what they're apparently doing to others now?" Sam suggested.

"It's possible, I suppose." Martouf sighed. "We should prepare for our mission. I believe our best chance to procure a symbiote, is to go to Tlaloc's homeworld. There will be guards around or near the tanks with the larvae, but usually it will not be a heavily guarded place. It is considered a holy place to both humans and Jaffa, besides, no one on these worlds willingly approaches an unhosted symbiote." He gave them a wry grin.

"Yeah, I can understand _that_!" Daniel exclaimed.

"The larvae at the sepulchers are too young to take hosts, are they not?" Teal'c asked.

"They are, yes, but most humans do not know this, or they choose to... err on the side of caution, as I believe your expression is?" Martouf said.

"So, how do we go about this?" O'Neill asked. "Any ideas?"

"The chaapa'ai will be guarded, but it is not uncommon for traders to go to Tlaloc's homeworld, so we could masquerade as such," Martouf suggested.

"That should get us there, but it won't help us when we get to the point of grabbing one of the larvae, will it?" O'Neill said.

"No, we will need a different disguise for that. Perhaps as priests of the temple of life, coming to fetch larvae for implantation..." Martouf looked thoughtful.

"Temple of life?" Daniel asked.

"The name usually given to the temple that is in charge of taking care of symbiote larvae, as well as implantation," Martouf explained.

O'Neill made a face, not liking the images that brought into his head. "We could just zat the guards, get the, ah, snakelet, and get out of there quick. Couldn't we?"

" _Snakelet_?" Martouf raised an eyebrow at him, getting a faintly amused expression on his face. "Regardless, your plan is dangerous. I do not know how far away the chaapa'ai is from the temple, but it will be a fair distance. We are unlikely to avoid detection and capture - shooting the guards will call attention from the priests and other attendants at the temple."

"We've done it before - on Chulak," Sam told him.

"Really? Nevertheless, Apophis is a more powerful System Lord. Tlaloc is only a minor System Lord, with no queen working solely for him. He can ill afford losing the larvae he needs for his Jaffa, as he may not easily be able to replace them in time."

"Meaning he'll guard them better," Sam guessed.

"Yes," Martouf confirmed.

"Okay, I guess we're trying your plan - but we're keeping my plan as plan B," O'Neill said.

"Um, couldn't Lantash just pretend to be a Goa'uld and _order_ the guards away from the symbiotes?" Daniel asked.

Martouf looked around, making sure no one else was nearby, then dipped his head, giving Lantash control.

"Possibly, though a minor Goa'uld like Tlaloc would not have a lot of underlings, and a strange, unknown Goa'uld would not be allowed near anything of value. Besides, why would a Goa'uld go to the temple of life of a rival - or any temple of his - even if it was a potential ally? What would be my possible interest in those larvae? The most likely answer would be because I wanted to harm them, in order to harm Tlaloc. In any case, it would be highly suspicious."

"Okay, forget that, then. Where do we get costumes for his priests? Do you know how they look?"

"I have only a vague idea," Lantash admitted. "Short, colourful robes, black cloaks, a feathered headdress..."

"Like the one Zipacna wears?" Sam asked.

"Yes, much like that one, though only the highest priests would have gold decorations on it."

"Tlaloc... he's an _Aztec_ deity. He's infamous for child sacrifices - and his priests wore the flayed skin of the sacrificial victims for twenty days..." Daniel suddenly said.

"Thank you, Daniel. That's encouraging." O'Neill grimassed.

"While Tlaloc is a very unpleasant Goa'uld, I do not know of any child sacrifices performed in his name. I am not saying they do not happen, but I do not believe it is a common occurance - nor do I believe human skin will be a suitable costume for us, when we pretend to be his priests. _Fortunately_ ," Lantash said.

"Not only Aztec gods, but all Mesoamerican gods are generally known for human sacrifices - though I guess it might just mean the Goa'uld gathered up hosts?" Daniel asked.

Lantash nodded. "Yes, all Goa'uld will sometimes have humans captured and brought to them, so they can choose hosts and, ah, _personal_ slaves. Usually, those who are _not_ picked, will be killed, and it is true that among some Goa'uld that may indeed happen publically, and in a ritualistic way. The intention is, I believe, to make their human subjects believe it's a necessary sacrifice to protect them against evil, and make their fields fertile... that kind of thing. So... yes, human sacrifices happen, even if it happens as a... side effect."

O'Neill snorted. "Do you want to stay here and continue talking about these 'pleasant' things, or can we get going? I'd like to get this over with!"

* * *

First they went to fetch valuables from one of the stashes the Tok'ra had hidden on several planets, so operatives who were for one reason or another unable to return to their base, could still get what they needed to carry out their missions.

Besides shes'ta - Goa'uld currency - Martouf took a hand device and a healing device. He also took a zat'nik'tel for each of them, which they hid in their clothes.

The next stop was the planet Shorren, which had a large market. Here they bought clothes fitting of traders, as well as spices and herbs for selling on Tlaloc's homeworld. While they were not going to impersonate traders longer than they had to, the Jaffa guards at the Stargate might very well ask to see what they would be selling.

They changed to the new clothes on a stop-over world, where they also hid their own clothing, as well as their Earth weapons and equipment.

* * *

"Okay, that went well," O'Neill said, when they had walked far enough from the Stargate that the Jaffa there could not overhear them. "Time to find that temple."

"We should continue to the nearby city, and there hopefully learn the location of the temple," Martouf said.

"Can't we just ask? I mean, it's a temple, right? Perhaps we want to, uh, _pray_?" Daniel suggested.

Martouf looked surprised. "Pray? Worship is not offered at that kind of temple, so that will not work as an excuse."

"Okay, so why don't we just, you know, go _look_ for it?" O'Neill said, a bit exasperated.

"There will be several temples, some close to the city, some quite a bit further away. Not only would it take a long time, it would look very suspicious if we go to each of them - and especially if we approach the temple of life openly," Martouf insisted.

"Whatever, we'll think of something - let's go to the city and see if they have a place where we can get something decent to eat," O'Neill said.

* * *

A few hours later, they had found a guesthouse, rented a room, and eaten a simple, but filling dinner. Unsurprisingly, they had not heard anyone discuss the temple with the larvae.

The place was holy, and not a place humans usually came - nor did they generally want to. All the priests at the 'temple of life', as well as their assistants, would be Jaffa.

"Tomorrow we'll go to the marketplace and find a place where we can sell our goods. If we are fortunate, priests will come by, as they are also in charge of healing the sick. For this they use herbs, and many of those we have brought to sell are used for this purpose," Martouf said.

"So _that's_ why we bought herbs for selling? Why didn't you _tell_ us this little tidbit? You _know_ I hate surprises and secrets!" O'Neill grumbled.

Martouf looked somewhat affronted. "My apologizes, O'Neill, but I did not think it was important."

"Hmph," O'Neill scoffed, then added in a lower voice. "Not important! Typical Tok'ra arrogance!"

Martouf sent him an unhappy look, but clearly decided to ignore the comment.


	3. Finding the Temple

Back at Stargate Command, Freya and Anise had gone through their theory about zatarcs with Janet, and then they had together looked over it.

Janet listened with a worried expression as Freya related the details; how previously loyal, stable Tok'ra had suddenly behaved strangely, attacking their friends and compatriots with a small weapon that sent out powerful laser-like beams. In every case, those affected had soon killed themselves, by causing the weapon to overload and explode. From what they had been able to see of the weapon before it was destroyed, Freya believed it was a Goa'uld weapon called a shel'kesh. It was sometimes used for covert assassinations, though the Tok'ra did not use it, so Freya did not know where the zatarcs had gotten it.

"How can the Council say they don't believe your theory? It can't be normal for your people to suddenly attempt to kill each other, and then blow themselves up!" Janet exclaimed, frustrated.

"It is not, and they do not deny this is a very strange behaviour."

"What then? They don't think they're, um, traitors, do they?"

"I... am not certain what they think." Freya admitted. "Regardless, with the new information from Shau'nac, I fear there are other, more sinister reasons behind their reluctance to accept my theory."

"You think one or more of the Council members are involved..."

"Yes. Brainwashed, perhaps, as one of those who later killed himself had merely behaved strangely, and not attempted to kill anyone. It is my belief that there may be two kinds of zatarcs."

"Or, maybe only one kind. They may merely have different goals. Some could be programmed to be assassins, and from what you have told me, those behave completely normal until they activate. Probably when they see their target. Another group could be programmed to spy, perhaps? I mean, they may not even know they are doing it. Could the programming be done so that they forget what they have done, afterwards?" Janet asked.

Freya considered it, and discussed it with Anise, before giving her symbiote control.

"It is possible, but if that is the case, this is even more insidious. It makes it even more important that we construct a reliable way of detecting zatarcs."

"Because there could be a great many more of them than we'd otherwise think. Here, too." Janet shuddered. "You think it's only those that have been to Apophis's worlds that are affected?"

"Yes... until now it has been, but that will change, if the technology to make zatarcs now exist in the tunnels."

"We need to check all our people that have gone to worlds owned by Apophis and his allies - and you may need to check all of your people," Janet realized.

"I believe my device will detect zatarcs, but it is a cumbersome process, and I fear it is not without flaws. It can detect if a person is being truthful, even if they are not aware they are lying. It reads the subconscious and compares it to the conscious mind. It is made by combining a device originally created to verify information retrieved through the torture of captured Goa'uld, with a modified version of a memory recall device. It is able to decipher whether the memory being recalled by the subject is true or false."

Janet nodded. "So in this case, it works because the Goa'uld use false memories to cover the programming?"

"Yes," Anise said.

"But you can't tell what the mission of the zatarc is?"

"No, unfortunately not. At least not yet. I am not sure it will be possible without triggering the programming, at which point it will be too late - the person will become suicidal." She sighed. "When it comes to removing the programming, I have only the beginnings of an idea."

"Then let's begin by going over your zatarc detection device, then we can look at your idea for a... de-programming later." Janet hesitated. "Another thing... perhaps you could look over the list of planets our SG teams have gone to recently? From what I've heard, we don't usually know who owns the planets the teams go, so we may have several people who've been to places where they could have been turned into zatarcs."

Anise nodded. "Of course. I will look at the list of planets. Forgive me, but this may also give us a number of... test subjects for our detection device, and perhaps even for attempting to remove the programming."

"Let's not hope that!" Janet said, with feeling. "I'll go ask for that list of gate addresses."

* * *

Tlaloc's homeplanet

A good part of the next day had passed, but eventually a priest from the temple of life had come to buy herbs from them. When he left, Martouf followed him.

About two hours later, Martouf returned with information about where the temple was.

"I followed the priest to the temple. We should wait until evening before going there, though. It is in quite a secluded place, and we could never pretend to go there by mistake."

"You didn't let the priest see you, I hope?" O'Neill asked.

"No," Martouf said, looking slightly miffed someone would suggest he had been that clumsy.

"Okay, tonight it is, then." O'Neill looked at the sky. The first, larger sun was past the high point, and half-way down, but the second, smaller one, had only just turned. "Oy, looks like that's many hours away. Why don't we find an inn, a bunch of beers, and chill out?"

Martouf frowned. "Indulging in large amounts of alcohol before a stealth mission is hardly advisable."

"I agree," Teal'c said. "Humans are easily intoxicated, leading to a severe lack in judgement."

O'Neill looked unhappily at him. "Gee, _thanks_ , Teal'c! What would you suggest we do then? _Nothing_?"

"We should rest. It may be a long and hard night," Martouf suggested.

" _Rest_!" O'Neill complained. "With no beer, no pizza, and no tv?"

"I meant _sleep_ ," Martouf clarified, then bowed his head, letting Lantash fore.

He spoke, using Martouf's voice, since there were others not too far away, and they did not want to call unwanted attention to them. "You can do this unaided, correct? Or do you wish for me to use the kara'kesh to put you in a trance and _order_ you to sleep?"

"He can't do that, can he?" O'Neill looked at Sam, then Teal'c.

"No idea," Sam admitted, smiling.

"Perhaps you would care to find out?" Lantash offered, grinning, pulling the hand device a few inches from his pocket, enough that O'Neill could see it.

He shook his head. "You have a _terrible_ sense of humour, you know that?"

"Oh, I assure you, it was not meant in jest..." Lantash said, amusement glittering in his eyes. "Or... perhaps it was, though I actually _can_ do what I said, and I must admit to being tempted from time to time when you, ah, insist on being... _argumentative_."

Sam and Daniel laughed, and O'Neill just groaned.

"Let's get back to the guest house - if nothing else, I can at least get something to _eat_ there!"

* * *

It was near midnight and very dark, when SG-1 and Martouf/Lantash approached the 'temple of life'.

"It looks peaceful enough," Daniel observed, whispering.

"I can sense multiple energy signals. We are not close enough that it could be the larvae inside the temple, so I am assuming there are Jaffa guards nearby," Martouf said, keeping his voice down as well.

"Over there." Teal'c pointed.

Martouf nodded. "Yes, I see them."

"Well, I don't!" O'Neill grumbled. "Doesn't this planet have a moon?"

"Yes, _three_ , in fact, but none of them are currently up. We should be grateful for that, as we would likely not be able to approach the temple undetected, if that were the case."

They slowly snuck closer, moving only when the Jaffa moved, taking care to make as little noise as possible and remain hidden behind shrubbery, trees, and eventually the low wall that circled the temple complex.

Having reached that, they followed the wall until they got to a building that was obviously used for habitation. They were in luck, because nearby was another, smaller building, which was used for laundering clothes. Newly cleaned robes and cloaks lay in a pile, meaning most of their costumes was fairly easy to get.

"Yes! Finally our luck is getting better!" O'Neill smiled.

"Indeed. If I remember correctly, the sandals the priest we saw wore, is similar enough to what we are wearing, that no one will notice," Teal'c said.

"I agree, but we still need the headdresses. While the priests do not always wear them, I am certain that they _do_ wear them for all kinds of official rituals and ceremonies. We _would_ need headdresses in order to convince the guards and priests that we are coming for larvae for an implantation."

"Any reason why we can't just go grab one of the snakelets right now?" O'Neill wondered.

"We can try..." Martouf said, after thinking about it for a while. "I fear they will be very well guarded, though."

They each took a robe and a cloak - fortunately, this kind of clothing was fairly much one size, and they only had problems finding clothes for Teal'c. However, after looking through the clothing, they found a robe and a cloak that were large enough not to look strange, and the problem was solved.

Daniel and Teal'c returned to just outside the wall of the compound, carrying the clothes. They would wait there - and keep guard - until Sam, Martouf/Lantash, and O'Neill had scouted the terrain and determined whether or not it was possible to steal a symbiote immediately. If not, they already had most of their costumes, at least.

* * *

"No, it's not going to work. Dammit!" O'Neill said in a low voice. They had just made their third - unsuccessful - attempt at approaching the room with the tanks with symbiote larvae. "Let's get out of here."

The Jaffa never left the area for more than a few moments, and there was only one way in. They would have to go back to their original plan - which meant they had to find some way of procuring headdresses for them all.

"Where do the priests _get_ those feathered headdresses? Do they make them themselves?" Sam asked, when they had made their way back to the building where they had gotten the robes and cloaks.

"No," Martouf said. "I very much doubt that. The priests do little except for their religious duties - which in this case mostly means taking care of the symbiotes and the implantations in Jaffa."

"Couldn't we, ah, _borrow_ their own headdresses? They must have some extra, and they're not going to do implantation ceremonies tomorrow, are they?" Sam wondered.

"I have no idea when the next implantation ceremony is. As far as I know, they are generally held with regular, but pre-arranged intervals. Of course, from time to time it is necessary to do emergency ceremonies - for instance, if Jaffa have been in a battle where their larvae have been too badly damaged. It happens, though most wounds would be in an area that kills the Jaffa before the larva," Martouf explained.

"Okay, so we take the chance that there's no scheduled... implantation tomorrow. Grab the headdresses, and then show up and claim some Jaffa need symbiotes," O'Neill decided. "Then we grab the snakes, and hurry out of here. Mission accomplished!"

"The Jaffa could have been attacked and the symbiotes deliberately harmed, in a foul attack by an enemy, perhaps," Teal'c suggested. "Who is Tlaloc's enemy?"

"Tlaloc is allied with Cronus, and thus an enemy of Apophis," Martouf said.

"Okay - we have our plan, then!" O'Neill decided.


	4. Failures and Successes

Stargate Command

"All these planets belong to Apophis, or allies of him?" Janet asked, concerned, as she looked at the list.

"Yes. When he took over Sokar's empire and fleet, he became very powerful," Anise said, she picked up the list again. "The first one, you call is PX-325, the inhabitants call it Lazairia... it was recently claimed by Apophis. I believe he has even sent a vassal there. The planet is primitive, but there is much naquadah, and slaves to mine it."

"SG-14 and SG-15 just returned from there. They reported being attacked by Jaffa, and being under heavy fire. All members of SG-17 were killed, as were two of the members of SG-15," Janet said, reading the report.

Anise nodded. "SG-14 and the surviving members of SG-15 should be first on the list of people we test." She looked at the list again. "The next should be SG-7, followed by SG-9, SG-18, SG-2, and SG-5. We should also test SG-1 when they return, as they went to destroy Apophis prototype ship a couple weeks ago."

Janet got up from where she was sitting by the table. "I'll go talk to General Hammond about having them sent down here."

* * *

"You're clean," Janet said.

"I agree. You are not a zatarc," Anise added. She nodded at the security guards, and they released Captain Blasdale.

Relieved he got up from the chair. "Great, thanks."

"Please send in Major Graham," Janet said.

"Yes, ma'am." He left.

A few moments later Major Graham came in, looking nervous. "You wanted to see me, Doctor Fraiser, and, uh, Anise?"

"Hello, Major Graham. Yes, please have a seat," Janet told him.

Graham sat down, and Anise and one of the security guards strapped him to the chair.

"Try to stay calm. Direct your vision here." Anise pointed, then switched on the machine.

A laser like beam hit Graham's eyes for a moment, and a screen on the machine showed a circular pattern.

"We will ask you some questions, and your thoughts at that time will be read," Janet told him.

"Please answer as truthfully as possible. Describe to me your mission on PX-325," Anise said.

"Uh, well. At first, it seemed like a routine meet 'n' greet, you know? The Lazairians are a fairly primitive people."

They continued questioning Major Graham for some time, and the circle pattern on the monitor suddenly changed, growing rapidly. Anise and Janet looked at each other, but they knew the reaction could just mean the Major could have reiterated something out of order.

"Major, please repeat the last sequence. Remember to be specific about every detail, even your feelings at the time," Anise told him.

Graham nodded. "Okay, I really don't know exactly what happened, there wasn't much time to go about hypothesising. Just after…the sun went down the gliders attacked the village. We booked for the Stargate but the clearing was filled with Jaffa." He frowned. "SG-15 was already under fire... it felt like they were coming at us from all sides. Captain Blasdale came in from one side. He and Sergeant Lewis were pinned down..."

"How did you feel at that time?" Janet asked.

"What do you think? I was scared out of my mind! I still managed to shoot the Jaffa coming at us."

"Are you certain Lieutenant Astor shot that Jaffa, and that you returned with Captain Blasdale and Sergeant Lewis?" Anise prodded.

"Absolutely certain."

Janet and Anise looked grimly at each other, then Janet nodded briefly.

Anise sighed. "That will be all. Thank you, Major."

Major Graham was a zatarc - there was no doubt about it. They had him sent to a secured room, with guards outside, while the rest of the potential zatarcs were tested.

* * *

It took all of the rest of the day, before everyone that could have been exposed, had been tested. When they had finished the tests, Freya/Anise and Janet went to report to Hammond.

"We have found five zatarcs among the seven SG teams we tested," Freya said.

"You are certain?" Hammond asked.

Janet nodded. "I'm afraid so, sir."

"What do we do?"

"There is a procedure we could try..." Freya looked at Janet, who did not look happy.

"Is it safe?" Hammond asked.

"It's experimental at best," Janet admitted.

"We would not suggest this if we thought there was a better alternative," Freya said.

Hammond nodded. "What's the worst case scenario?"

"The procedure actually damages the portion of the brain that has been affected by the Zatarc technology," Freya explained.

"Which means they could lose more than just a false memory," Janet said.

"How much more?" Hammond demanded to know.

Janet and Freya looked at each other.

"I'm sorry, sir... but it won't be clear until after the procedure," Janet told him, an apologetic expression on her face. "I don't like this any more than you do, but I don't know what else we can do."

"I hate sitting here deciding the fate of one of our officers, but as you say, what choice do we have?" Hammond said. "The security of this base and this planet can not be compromised."

"Furthermore, when their programming is triggered, they will inevitably become self- destructive." Anise sighed. "There is another choice... we can put them in stasis. However, the Tok'ra do not have more than a handful of stasis chambers, so if any more are found, this will not be an option. In addition, we would like to keep any... progress, in this area a secret, until such a time when I have talked to Shau'nac."

"They'd end up being stuck in stasis indefinitely, wouldn't they?"

"Yes - or until we find a better way of treating them."

Hammond nodded. "Let's give them the choice - let them decide for themselves." .

* * *

All five people ended up deciding in favour of the experimental treatment, and Major Graham would be the first of them.

Freya/Anise and Janet watched as he was strapped to the chair by two security guards.

"I... I have to admit, I'm terrified," Graham said, looking very pale.

"I understand. Please try to stay calm," Freya told him.

"Couldn't we give him a sedative?" Janet asked.

Freya shook her head. "No, unfortunately he has to be fully conscious and alert for this to work. I am sorry."

Janet nodded, looking very unhappy.

"Listen I'm _sure_ it all happened as I told you! I _did_ manage to get Captain Blasdale and Sergeant Lewis out!"

"You said you were surrounded. Jaffa were everywhere. Six other SGC team members died that night, yet you and your team managed to get through the Stargate unharmed," Freya reminded him.

"I thought we were just that good," Graham admitted.

Freya nodded. "I am going to begin." She focused a light from the machine on, and around Major Graham's head.

"It hurts! Stop! Please! Stop!" Graham screamed.

"Relax. It will be over soon," Janet soothed.

"No, stop!"

Suddenly, Graham ripped his arms free from the bindings on the chair, jumped the nearby security guard and grabbed his weapon. Before anyone could stop him, Graham had turned it around and shot himself in the head with it. He sank to the ground, dead.

* * *

"You are certain there is no better way of treating them?" Hammond asked.

"I'm afraid we don't have another suggestion at this point," Anise said.

"In that case, I am going to postpone treating the rest of my people until you've studied what went wrong!"

"I am convinced the treatment will work, if it is allowed to complete. The solution is to immobilize the patient better during treatment," Anise insisted.

There was a knock on the door, and Hammond tiredly looked at it. "Enter."

It was Major Simpson from SG-18. "General?"

"I thought I'd told my guards we were not to be disturbed!"

"I apologize, General, but this is very important."

Hammond sighed. "All right. What is it?"

"Lieutenant Anderson managed to escape from the room he was locked up in. He immediately attacked the nearest airman, took his weapon, and... killed himself." Simpson looked shaken.

"What?" Hammond stared at him in disbelief.

"It was to be expected, though I had not thought it would happen so soon. When a zatarc is prevented from carrying out his or her mission, they become suicidal. As we do not know what these missions are, we cannot know if locking them up will immediately trigger the programming. I assume it will depend on the mission," Freya said. "If he had not managed to escape, he would likely have found some other way to kill himself."

"That changes things." Hammond looked determined. "The zatarcs are a threat, not only to themselves, but to the base - even when they are locked up. The treatments will continue."

* * *

Lieutenant Astor looked groggily at Janet, then frowned. "Why am I here? I thought I was on PX-325... wait! We were under attack!" She looked around with wide eyes, then relaxed when she realized she was in the infirmary and there were no Jaffa.

"Relax, you're safe," Janet said, smiling reassuring at her. "How much do you remember? What is your name?"

"Natalie Astor, Lieutenant. I'm a member of SG-14..."

"Good. Now, we're going to ask you some questions, and when you've answered those, we'll explain everything, and you'll hopefully be fine to go. Okay?" Janet said.


	5. Progress and Hope

Tlaloc's homeworld

It was very late night, not long before sunrise, when they returned to the guesthouse and their room, carrying robes, cloaks, and headdresses. As soon as they were back in the rooms, Martouf left to purchase dye and makeup. It was early, and the shopkeeper was not yet awake, but paying double meant he immediately stopped being angry at being awoken.

Martouf bought powdered dye, and they used it to change the appearance a little of the headdresses. Not enough that they would look wrong, but enough that the owners would - hopefully - not recognize them. At some distance. As long as it did not rain.

The makeup was used for two things; drawing a tattoo on the forehead of each of them, and drawing the elaborate facial paintings favoured by the priests here.

Of course, Teal'c's own tattoo was hard to hide, and the problem was eventually solved by giving him the high priests headdress. It was the largest, and covered the entirety of Teal'c's forehead marking.

"Okay - looks like we're ready to leave." O'Neill looked at himself in the small mirror, then at the others. He shook his head. "We look ridiculous. I sincerely hope we'll have time to change before going back to the SGC!"

They wore the cloaks that covered them completely when they left their room, and did not put on the headdresses until they were outside the city. The sun was rising, and the city was starting to wake up when they left it behind.

* * *

"Kree. Priests - I do not recognize your faces. From where have you come, and what is the purpose of so early a visit?" a large Jaffa temple guard said. "Our own priests are still tending to the morning rituals."

"We are here from Yaute, on a most urgent matter. Our temple there was attacked, and a group of our Lord Tlaloc's brave warriors defended us. They were successful in driving back the threat, but before that, they were attacked in a low and cowardly manner by Apophis Jaffa. Their prim'tas were deliberately damaged beyond hope of healing, and those warriors are now badly in need of the services of this temple," Teal'c explained, exactly as Lantash had told him to. Hopefully, it would convince the temple guards, at least, if not the priests - but those they hoped to avoid.

The guard hesitated, then looked at the guard beside him. Eventually, they both nodded. "You may enter."

Relieved, they hurried inside, hoping to get what they came for before the priests had finished their morning rituals. The symbiotes had been fed earlier in the morning - that was the first thing that was done in the day, even before the priests themselves ate - and that meant no one would likely come to the room with the tanks until it was time to clean the water.

O'Neill shuddered as he looked at the many tanks with symbiotes. "So, are any of these old enough?"

Martouf walked up to each of the tanks and studied the symbiotes inside closely, seemingly not disturbed by the larvae at all. "Many of them are too young, but I believe these are mature enough that one of them will survive healing Shau'nac," he said, picking one of them up and looking at it closely. It hissed at him and wriggled angrily.

"How can you _do_ that? Just stand there, looking at it? Aren't you afraid?" Daniel asked, an expression of disbelief on his face.

"No, why would I be? I am in no danger, if that is what you mean. The symbiotes are too young to safely take a host, and will not attempt it unless the situation is grave. Besides, they can sense Lantash, and know that I am either a host or a Jaffa. In either case, I cannot accommodate another symbiote."

"What about plain old revulsion, then?" O'Neill grimaced.

Martouf shook his head, as he allowed the larva to slide down into the tank again. "No. Of course, it distresses me to know that these will likely grow up to become evil... _Goa'uld_. If they are allowed to take hosts - which is unlikely - they will cause suffering for many people. Their form do not repulse me - why would it? They are the children of the same species as Lantash, and I find him beautiful."

"Well, I guess you're not the right one to ask," O'Neill said.

"How do we transport it? We haven't brought anything we can use," Sam realized.

"There are probably transportation tanks in a room nearby - the priests use them when they bring the symbiotes to the implantation room," told them.

Daniel still stood in the doorway to the room with the symbiote-tanks, and he looked through the door behind him to the left. "Yes, they're in the room back here."

* * *

They had filled one of the smaller transportation tanks with water and then Martouf had caught ten larvae and put inside it. They could not very well just take one, if their cover story that they had come to fetch new symbiotes for a group of Jaffa, were to be believed.

The tank was meant to be carried by four people, so Sam, Martouf/Lantash, Daniel, and O'Neill each took one handle, while Teal'c walked at the front. This made sense in any case, as he was supposed to be the high priest, and would therefore not be part of carrying the tank.

Hopefully, there was no words that needed to be chanted while they walked, or nothing else special they were expected to do, because none of them had any ideas what that might be.

They walked past the Jaffa guards, with Teal'c merely nodding politely at them. The guards let them pass, and they continued in a pace much too slow for their liking. However, if they suddenly started running, there was no doubt the guards would become suspicious.

After having cleared the temple grounds and walked maybe 200 feet away from it, the temple bell started ringing.

"I _really_ hope that's not an alarm!" O'Neill exclaimed.

"I believe it is the signal for the priests and their assistants that the morning ceremonies are over," Teal'c said.

"That could be a problem, depending on what they're going to do next? Do you think they'll notice the missing clothes? Or the headdresses?" Daniel asked.

"I have no knowledge of their work," Teal'c said.

"Martouf? Lantash?" Sam asked.

Martouf shook his head. "No idea."

"Didn't you grow up in such a place?" O'Neill asked. "Lantash, I mean."

Lantash took over control. "Each Goa'uld will have these things done differently. Besides, as a child of Egeria - and at a time when she had no Jaffa - I grew up in a lake."

"Sounds boring," O'Neill observed.

"Not nearly as boring as being in a tank, and then in a Jaffa - at least according to Selmak, and other Tok'ra who _did_ grow up like that." Lantash threw a look back over his shoulder. "I believe we should increase our speed. The guards are talking with a priest, and they seem... _agitated_."

O'Neill looked back towards the temple. "Crap! _Hurry_!"

They started running as fast as they could while carrying the tank, angry voices shouting behind them. Moments later, an alarm bell started sounding.

"This way!" Lantash exclaimed, indicating the direction with his head.

They all hurriedly turned the corner and got behind some sort of building. It was not a moment too soon, as a staff blast flew past them just then, fortunately without hitting anyone.

" _Why_ do these things _always_ happen to us? I mean, couldn't those damn priests have waited just a _little_ longer before discovering we'd stolen something from them?" O'Neill complained, as he pulled out his zat'nik'tel.

The others found their weapons as well - with Lantash opting for his hand device, since it was a better long-range weapon than a zat'nik'tel.

"About fifteen Jaffa are coming our way," Teal'c announced, after sticking his head out for a moment to check.

"Damn! We'll never get them all with _these_!" O'Neill glared at his zat'nik'tel.

"Indeed. I too would estimate our chances of success to be poor," Teal'c said, looking out from his hiding place for a moment to fire at the approaching Jaffa. He hit one, who stopped and slowly sank to the ground.

O'Neill fired at the same time, hitting another Jaffa, but it was obvious they would not be able to succeed like this - particularly since more guards were appearing, called there by the alarm bell.

Meanwhile, Lantash had put on his hand device. He concentrated, and sent out as powerful a shock wave as he could. It hit the nearest seven Jaffa, throwing six of them through the air and felling the seventh. Some of the Jaffa further back were affected as well, and their attack was halted. They had _not_ expected to be attacked with a weapon they knew only a Goa'uld could use, and that made them hesitate.

Lantash did not give them time to collect themselves, and fired off another shockwave, sending many more Jaffa flying and throwing the rest of them into complete disarray.

"Very nice!" Sam gave Lantash and impressed look.

" _Awesome_!" O'Neill grinned, and quickly fired at the few Jaffa that were still standing.

Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c joined him in shooting at the Jaffa, and Lantash soon sent a third shockwave against the Jaffa. This finally convinced the few Jaffa that were still conscious that it was time to retreat, and soon the enemy was nowhere to be seen.

"I didn't know it was _possible_ to make shockwaves _that_ powerful!" Sam said.

Lantash smiled, pleased. "It is - but it's somewhat tiring. I would not have been able to continue doing it for much longer without time to rest," he admitted. He looked at the unmoving Jaffa on the ground. "It will not be long before their leaders attempt to rally those that are still able to fight - we should escape as quickly as possible."

"You'll get no argument from me! Come on, guys!" O'Neill ordered.

They picked up the tank and again started for the Stargate, keeping a fast pace. After maybe 15-20 minutes, they could see it. It looked as if they were lucky this time - the alarm had clearly not reached the guards there, and all looked peaceful.

After taking a short moment to ensure that their costumes and makeup were not too messed up, they approached the Stargate, walking much slower than they would have preferred.

The guards were bored, and paid little attention to a group of priests carrying symbiote larvae, and they were allowed to go through. Unfortunately, they could not just ask to be sent to a world not owned by Tlaloc, as that would have been extremely suspicious, and Lantash had instead picked a fairly peaceful world, which did, however, have some Jaffa presence. Enough that it would sound reasonable for them to go there.

At least it would be safer there than here, and much fewer - or no - guards at the Stargate.

The wormhole opened and they walked through - and stepped out on a dark world.

"Night time?" Daniel asked.

"Apparently," Lantash said. "Also - there does not seem to be a guard at this time. We should dial a new address immediately."

* * *

After going to the stop-over world where their uniforms, weapons, and equipment were hidden, they had immediately dialled Earth, and used their GDO to send their iris code.

"I'd _really_ have preferred to switch to my own clothing - and wash off this _ridiculous_ makeup first!" O'Neill grumbled at Daniel, who had dialled Earth as soon as they had picked up their stuff.

"There is no place nearby to wash, unfortunately," Martouf told him.

"Yeah, I can see that." O'Neill gave the desert world an unhappy look. "Well, there's no time like the present, and we _are_ very much in a hurry, so - let's go."

* * *

"Welcome back." Hammond said, as they walked down the ramp at Stargate Command. Freya/Anise stood beside him.

"I see you are bringing back symbiotes." Anise got a pleased expression. "We should take them to your infirmary at once, so Shau'nac can be healed."

"Good to see you too!" O'Neill said, annoyed.

He and Sam, Martouf/Lantash, and Daniel allowed a group of airmen to take over the tank, and they left to bring it to the infirmary. .

"I apologize. We are all relieved the mission went well," Anise told him, then got an amused expression. "Interesting choice of clothing... and facial decorations."

O'Neill snorted. "Glad you're amused. I'm going to hit the showers." He was about to walk off, when Hammond stopped him.

"I understand your desire to get that washed off, but it will have to wait. Please follow these guards. They will take you to the infirmary. That goes for all of you," he told them.

"What? Why?" O'Neill demanded.

"It's just a precaution - but you need to be tested so we can make sure you're not zatarcs," Hammond said.

* * *

Sam, Daniel, Martouf/Lantash, O'Neill, and Teal'c were all tested. Fortunately, it turned out none of them were zatarcs.

After showering and changing back to their own clothing, they went to be debriefed.

"Please sit down," Hammond said.

SG-1 and Martouf/Lantash sat down at the table, where Hammond and Janet already sat. A moment later, Freya/Anise arrived as well, followed by a pale - but alive Shau'nac.

Teal'c smiled widely. "Shau'nac. It is most pleasing to see you are alive. I trust the implantation went well?"

"It did, Teal'c." Shau'nac smiled at him, then sat down at the table.

"Since we're all here now, let us begin," Hammond said. "Doctor Fraiser, Anise, would you like to explain?"

"Yes, sir." Janet was quiet for a moment, considering how to begin. "While you have been on your mission, Anise, Freya, and I have worked at refining our detection of zatarcs. Anise looked through the list of planets our people have gone to recently, and determined which ones were at risk."

"Which is why _we_ were examined, right?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Janet confirmed. "Our suspicion is that Apophis is behind this, and anyone who has gone to one of his worlds is at risk. Fortunately, none of you were affected."

"Why was I examined, then?" Martouf asked. "I haven't been to any world in Apophis's domain, and it has been a week since I left our base."

"True, I believe it is a very recent development, that the technology to create zatarcs exist in the tunnels, but it is only just a week since you left our base, so we thought it safest to examine you," Anise explained.

Martouf nodded. "That makes sense."

"We found five people here at Stargate Command that had their minds altered, so it is not something that only affects the Tok'ra. I believe it's correct that this is someone that tries to destroy both of us - and the allegiance," Janet told them.

"Shau'nac, you saw Tanith talk to some people that may be involved. Do you remember anything useful?" Hammond asked.

"Yes, Anise has helped me with the memory recall device, so I was able to remember not just how they looked, but also what they said."

"I used the attached screen and recording equipment, so I can show you that - including Shau'nac's explanations during it," Anise said.

"Please do that," Hammond told her.

Anise nodded and began setting up a small, Tok'ra viewer.

* * *

"So, since you guys recognize the ones that talked to Tanith, you can solve this, right?" O'Neill said, looking at Anise and Freya.

"They are obviously involved, and now we have a place to start, yes. It is troubling that one of them is a member of the Council, and another a healer, but it did at least not sound as if the conspiracy has many more members," Anise told them.

"Yet. If they've got the tech to brainwash people, who knows how many you can trust now, O'Neill pointed out.

"Very true, though I do not believe they have had time to get to very many. Regardless, we will be careful. With what we know, and with both a device for detecting the zatarcs, and a way to remove the programming without harming the victim, we should be able to stop them," Anise insisted.

"I agree," Lantash said. "We will find an excuse to have the compromised Tok'ra come here, and have them examined - treated, if it turns out they are brainwashed, which I hope is the case. It is distasteful to think they would have chosen to work with the Goa'uld willingly."

"I think it unlikely they would have, but I agree." Anise sighed, and looked at Hammond. "It is likely we will need your assistance when the time comes to bring the traitors to justice."

"This is a shared problem, we will solve it together," Hammond said. "Is there anything else?"

"No." Anise shook her head. "Doctor Fraiser and I would like to go and work on a plan to bring the... conspirators here for examination, and possibly treatment. Martouf, Lantash... we can use your help."

"Of course."

"Do that. We will help you in any way possible," Hammond assured them.

"We should go and get my dad, before he returns to his base, and risk becoming affected. We can use his help here, too," Sam said, looking at Anise.

"He should have sent his first report by now, so it will not arouse suspicion."

"In that case, SG-1, that is your mission," Hammond told them.

"Yes, sir," O'Neill said.

"Dismissed."

They all got up and left to carry out their part in solving the problem. It would not be easy, but at least it did no longer seem impossible. They would succeed. Together.

 

THE END.


End file.
